New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-21
pporECrI0N TESTED

Protection blesses all nations by blessing
ono. Like scientific treatment OF contagious
disease, it seeks TO con6ne to the spots where IL
oripinates the orst evil of modern industrial
DEVELOPMENT. A world without disease would
not need doctor, and world without indus
trial mistakes might not need tariff. But
when the ideal Economic Man of the free trade
professors gets his ideal world, 1t will be time
enough then to decide what legislation, il any,
il reuuires. This world In which actual men
and women battle with real evils and errors and
with the human suffering, want and crime
which follow in their train, needs defensive
legislation for a reason which Tuesdays dis
patches from Germany powerfully illustrate.
A cashier absconded. The finances OF large
establishment were uncovered, and ruin and
crime came to light. Quickly other firms, es-
pecially engaged in the American woollen
trade, were found to be involved, and In three
days seven important houses OF Berlin failed,
two of them for over million each. Banks
and manufacturers in all parts Of Germany
were dstrusted, and tho alarming weakness in
one of Germany's chief industries threatened
to develop into panic, until it was checked by
desperately liberal settlements of creditors
with the insolvent firms. Whether this is the
end or only the beginning of the end, no one
can say as yet but it is felt that serious I'M
SCUM hness in tho woollen manufacture is dis
closed by these unexpected events. The cause
can be more accurately measured. No one
doubts that it was reproduction in lines of
goods for which reduced American tariff and
the free trade rulings of Democratic Admin
istraton had opened an extensive market in
A.: Tho nj "a cturara in tho IInital
States have suffered severely for sey eral years,
in consequence of the heavy impOrtations of
yarn, worsted and woollen goods from Ger
many, which the reduction of duties in 1883
and the later rulings and undervaluations OF
Democratic officials have permitted, and now
they see their rivals across the water Frustrated
by the efforts they have made to cripple indus
tries of this country.
Lower duties klndled the fire. German
manufacturers and traders began to reach out
after the vast increase of business which was
made possible. Enormous increase of produc-
ton in certain lines followed an increase for
which the uncertain American market gave the
only basis. But manufacturers here, forced to
hght more desperately each year against
yerer competition, were able to pay only the
lowest prices for wool, and American wool
grow ers encouraged by many yeats of prOtec-
ton to multiply their 1ocks were forced TO sell
at low prices or not at all. With wool cheaper
than anybody could have expected. the manu-
facturers here were enabled to make better re-
sIstauce than German rivals had anticipated,
and then cheating the Government became the
rule, and unparalleled undervaluations of i'm
ports helped the German traders to market
their excessive products.
Whether recent official Investigations of
fraudulent imports of wOollon goods precipi
tated the collapse does not appear. But the
oyer-production naturally resulting from
struggle to command the distant and uncertain
American market had prepared the way for
revolution. 1t matters not whether the evil was
ia this case brought about by one cause or IN
other, for 1t is one of the perpetually recurring
incidents of modern industrial life, and an i'm